OBJECTIVE: Belt Electrode-Skeletal Muscle Electrical Stimulation (B-SES) is used to rehabilitate frail elderly people and patients with chronic disorders. However, respiratory and circulation dynamics during B-SES have not been clarified. This study aimed to clarify the safety of B-SES. METHODS: Twelve healthy male adults underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and peak oxygen uptake (peak VO₂) measurement. The respiratory rate, oxygen uptake (VO₂), percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO₂), pulse rate, and blood pressure were measured during a 20-minute B-SES. RESULTS: One participant was excluded from the statistical analysis based on the exclusion criteria.　The highest VO₂ was 11.2 ml/kg/min, and the metabolic equivalent calculated from The highest VO₂ was 3.2 METs. The VO₂ at 2–6, 8, 9, 11, and 14 minutes and systolic blood pressure at 5 and 10 minutes during B-SES were significantly higher than those at rest. The highest respiratory rate, lowest respiratory rate, highest VO₂, lowest SpO₂, highest pulse rate, and highest systolic blood pressure at rest were significantly different from those during B-SES. The peak VO₂ was not significantly correlated with respiratory and circulatory parameters. Conclusion: Changes in respiratory and cardiovascular variables were observed, although they were not at a level that required discontinuation of exercise. Therefore, with appropriate risk management, B-SES can be used in frail elderly patients and those with chronic disorders

Strength training of the intrinsic foot muscles has the potential to prevent sports injuries and the risk of falls in the elderly, but due to its high degree of difficulty, there is a need to develop a simple training method. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and possible muscle hypertrophy effects of combined neuromuscular electrical stimulation and eccentric contraction (NMES+ECC) on intrinsic foot muscles. Twenty-six healthy adults were randomly assigned to the NMES+ECC group or the control group, and the NMES+ECC group was trained for 15 minutes, control group was waited in a sitting position and changes in muscle thickness were evaluated by ultrasound imaging (p＜0.05). The NMES+ECC group showed a 7% increase in muscle thickness after training, and the effect lasted for 10 minutes (p＜0.05). The control group showed no change in muscle thickness. Adverse training events were mild and there were no dropouts. Muscle swelling immediately after training may correlate with muscle hypertrophy when training is continued, indicating that NMES+ECC can be expected to increase intrinsic muscle hypertrophy. Furthermore, the feasibility of NMES+ECC was shown to be good. Future studies should examine the feasibility, muscle hypertrophy, and effects on clinical outcomes in long-term clinical trials.

In this study, we examined the incidence and extent of synovitis and its association with pain in patients in the subacute phase after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The study included 50 patients who underwent unilateral TKA, and assessments were conducted one month postoperatively at four sites: the medial and lateral sides of the patella, the upper part of the patella, and the surgical side patellar fossa. The intensity of resting pain, the pressure pain threshold (PPT), and the degree of synovitis were evaluated using Power Doppler ultrasonography. The results showed synovitis in 40-60% of patients one month after TKA. There was a weak to moderately significant positive correlation between the degree of synovitis and the intensity of resting pain, particularly in the medial and lateral side of the patella and patellar fossa regions. Synovitis in the subacute phase after TKA may become a target for treatment, and objectively assessing the presence and degree of synovitis using ultrasound Power Doppler could contribute to effective physical therapy.